End of an Era for Need for Speed Rivals
After 13 years, EA has announced the closure of the extremely popular racing game, Need for Speed Rivals, leaving longtime fans with a broken heart. The game’s servers will be closed in October 2025, which means that some online functions and achievements will be lost forever.
Closure of Online Functions
Players in Great Britain and all over the world have until October 7, 2025, to enjoy the Need for Speed Rivals online. The shutdown will end access to multiplayer functions and set two Xbox achievements – Friendly Races and Buddy Bust – for which online gameplay with friends is required.
Impact on Players
At the moment, only the Xbox One version is listed for shutdown, but it is very likely that the Xbox 360 version will follow suit. EA has not officially confirmed this, but given previous closures, the chances of the older console version remaining online are slim. Players who hope to secure a full completion of 1,000G should act quickly, as the Friendly Race and Buddy Bust achievements can only be completed online, and time is running out.
Community Reaction
A fan wrote online, "It breaks my heart. This was one of the best NFS games for multiplayer fun." Others have called it "the end of an era" and said it will be missed for its intense Cops vs Racers gameplay. The Need for Speed Rivals, published in 2013, was praised for seamlessly mixing single-player and multiplayer experiences, an important innovation at the time.
Availability and Alternatives
The game will remain playable offline, but the complete experience, including cross-play events and leaderboards, will disappear. The game is currently available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate through EA Play, but as soon as the servers are closed, subscribers will no longer have access to the full online experience. The Xbox 360 version is not compatible with backwards compatibility, so players will need an original console to complete online achievements.
EA’s Decision to Retire Older Titles
EA has gradually retired older titles to concentrate on new projects. This year, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, Crysis 3, and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition have closed their servers. Anthem, the live service science fiction shooter, is scheduled to go offline in early 2026. While this move makes sense from a business perspective, long-time players find it frustrating when games with active fan bases are taken offline. Some have even demanded that EA open peer-to-peer options or private servers to keep these titles alive.
Final Chance to Play
Players have until October 7, 2025, to enjoy the Need for Speed Rivals online. If you plan one last trip, you should hit the gas better – the finish line is in sight. With the closure of the game’s servers, online functions will become a memory, a reminder that no matter how popular a game is, its online features do not last forever.
